Author: emilvenere

Emil Venere is a writer with many years of experience, both at major research universities and daily newspapers. He holds a master's degree in journalism from the University of Arizona and a bachelor's in literature from Ramapo College of New Jersey. He wrote the science fiction novel Flying Saucers.

#B-21 Bomber article on extreme secrecy

http://foxtrotalpha.jalopnik.com/the-cost-of-the-b-21-bomber-is-secret-for-security-reas-1781576157

excellent article … and one of the most under-reported stories. The computer-generated artist’s concept is a joke … I attended an aerospace conference last month and some big shot from Northrop Grummon Aerospace Systems was a keynote speaker … a slide of the alleged B-21 concept came up on a big screen. “It’s an interesting photo. I’ll leave it at that,” he says. And this was greeted by a round of laughter from the audience … What’s not known is whether any members of Congress are privy to the cost figures. If not, where’s the oversight? I find it intriguing that one top military official has told the media that the platform is using “very mature” technology. But he also said, just because it’s very mature “doesn’t mean it’s known to the public.” Whaaaat?

interesting article #usmilitaryspending

 

https://mondediplo.com/openpage/the-pentagon-s-war-on-accountability

Here’s the nut graph:

The United States is on track to spend more than $600 billion on the military this year — more, that is, than wasspent at the height of President Ronald Reagan’s Cold War military buildup, and more than the military budgets of at least the next seven nations in the world combined. And keep in mind that that’s just a partial total. As an analysis by the Straus Military Reform Project has shown, if we count related activities like homeland security, veterans’ affairs, nuclear warhead production at the Department of Energy, military aid to other countries, and interest on the military-related national debt, that figure reaches a cool $1 trillion.

 

it’s too bad the American media are ignoring this issue, a great failing of the Fourth Estate.

Interesting comments about LRS-B

http://www.ifreepress.com/6488-air-force-very-close-to-picking-new-bomber/

 

From top Air Force acquisition executive William LaPlante:

According to LaPlant, the project was designed so that bombers could be easily upgraded when new technology emerges or new requirements are written.

He said the bomber would have a few components that were now being used in secret programs and that “just because they are existing (or) mature doesn’t mean that they are in the open, doesn’t mean that any of you even know about them”.